After an incredibly difficult academic year, young people across Leeds are receiving their GCSE results today (20^th August).

On 18 March, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced that GCSE and A-level exams would be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, schools were asked to produce Centre Assessed Grades for their students.  These are the most likely grades that a young person would have achieved if they had sat the exams in May and June as planned.

To produce these grades, teachers looked at a range of information including class work and the results of mock exams. These results were initially put through a standardisation process where a considerable amount of grades were downgraded. However after a government U-turn, students have now been awarded the original teacher assessed grades, unless the computer algorithm gave a higher grade. The calculated grades awarded this summer have the same status as grades awarded in any other year.

Results from this year’s exams will not be collated and used by the Government in performance tables, or by Ofsted to inform inspection judgements. There is a recognition that the unique situation of this year’s exams means that a school or centre’s performance cannot meaningfully be compared or evaluated against performance in previous years.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, executive board member for learning, skills and employment said:

“Students receiving their results today deserve huge congratulations on their hard work, effort and determination, especially during what has been a really difficult year for everyone in schools and learning settings. It is a shame that formal assessments were not able to take place and that students had to deal with increasing uncertainty about the grading process. I hope that now they have clarity, young people can look forward to their future as they embark on their next steps.

“If you’re not sure what those next steps are going to be, schools and colleges are on hand to offer additional advice and guidance, and I want to thank all those staff for the support they are providing to young people in the city. Additional support, advice and guidance is available to young people from the Start in Leeds website. 

“I would like to wish all our young people the very best as they choose and take their next steps.”

For any young people still considering their future options after receiving their results, please check out the ‘Next steps after school or college’ section of the Start in Leeds website https://guest.startprofile.com/article/155